99 ways to say I love you- Draco Malfoy

No.67

I am fond of you

The library was warm in the late winter despite the cold winds outside. Draco enjoyed the silent peace. He wasn't doing much work, simply staring at the girl across the table.

Emily is sat in two jumpers with a bright grin on her face. Her eyes flick between Draco who's sat in front of her and her open sketch book.

"Are you almost done?" He questions.

She had claimed he could work whilst she drew him. She'd always been a good drawer but since the war she found it a good way to take a moment. It helped her to process her feelings and made her appreciate the love and beauty that remained. Maybe that's why most her drawings were of Draco.

"Oh my god, stop stop complaining and do your essay. That's why we're here and if you aren't working I'm not waiting for you. I will go for dinner without you," she teases. He knows she'll wait.

"It's not fair that you force me to sit still so you can draw me and you never even let anyone look in the sketch book,"

"It's not yours to look in Draco," she smirks. He rolls his eyes, forcing himself to focus again on his charms essay. He desperately wanted to see what was in the book. It was always in her bag and she'd asked him to sit still twice before today so she could draw him. Most the drawings she'd done of him were from memory, not that he knew.

She continues to work. Hands brushing the paper as she shades the contours of his face. A quiet hum of a song leaving her mouth. He found it comforting. After such a long time apart the two of them enjoyed each other's company. Just being able to see each other and know they were both okay. Both breathing.

"Right, I'm done," Draco announces, taking the essay and placing it in his bag.

"Give me like 3 minutes," Emily mumbles. She was so close to being done. Draco went to stand up and gather his stuff but he is cut off by her shout of protest "no! it'll be ruined if you move," she explains.

He sighs dramatically but pushes his stuff into the bag from his position, keeping his head still for her to draw.

"3 minutes is oddly specific," Draco comments once his bag is packed. She hums in response before scribbling the date onto the top left corner of the page. Something she did on all her drawings.

"Ready," she announces. Closing the brown leather sketch book and shoving it into her bag. Draco rises from his seat and offers her a hand, pulling her from her chair and together they walk in the direction of the great hall.

**

It's three days later when he finally sees the contents of the book.

They're sat in the Gryffindor common room, a little tipsy from the evening of teen party games they were all too old for. Theo was passed out in an arm chair, Ginny and Hermione had long since gone upstairs, Dean following them a while later and Seb had declined the offer to join the minute he heard the Slytherin's were coming. And by that he meant Draco.

"Okay truth or dare?" Draco grins, his face is a large grin. They'd stopped playing the game and talked for a while but they had eventually gone back to it. It was kind of pointless given they knew most things about each other but they enjoyed giggling over the dares.

"Dare," Emily declares. A bright grin on her face.

"How very Gryffindor of you," Draco smirks

"You picked dare your last three turns," she protests, the smile doesn't drop for a second though.

"Let me look through your sketchbook,"

"Draco-"

"Too chicken, Davies?"

"Fine," she sighs. She crosses the room to where the pile of school bags the group had dumped when they returned lay. Fishing through her bag and pulling out the book.

He opens the book and reads the message inscribed on the first page

Emily,
I haven't seen you draw in a while. I miss it. Don't let what's happening in the world stop you (need your skill up for when we have you come and do packaging design at the shop). Have a good birthday, can barely believe you're 17. I love you forever.
- Fred xx

He lets out a small smile. Of course it was Fred who gifted it to her. Draco didn't know the boy well, he did however know him from the stories. Knew him from how Emily practically worshipped him. How he was the one who first called her a sister as if it wasn't even a question. How he was the one who held her when she cried. How he was the one who always knew when she wasn't okay even if she insisted she was. That's why it didn't surprised Draco to find that Fred was the one who provided her the best comfort she had since the war ended.

The first drawing is the burrow, it's a line drawing and he can make out a figure in the kitchen window.

The pages are full. Ginny laughing, Fred and George with their arms slung around each others shoulder, Ron eating a chicken wing, Hermione reading, Harry asleep on a sofa. Dotted throughout the little bursts of life are pictures that make his heart burst. Dated in sixth year when they weren't together, little drawings of Draco.

The drawings stop for a while. The dates skipping months for when she was too busy hunting horcruxes and fighting a war. The first drawing dated after the war is Fred. It's his face and it's flawless aside from the tear stains on the page. It goes back to being her family after that one, Hermione and Ron curled up in an arm chair. Molly cooking in the kitchen. Arthur dozed off on a sofa with a newspaper in his arms. Fleur and Charlie in the garden of the burrow. Amongst them lay portraits. Sirius Black who had been like a father to her. Remus Lupin who Draco only knew as a teacher but she knew as a friend. Lavender Brown who she missed more than people ever realised.

Drawings of Draco are amongst it all. Him smirking across the class room. Him asleep with his head in her lap. His hand clutching hers.

They're all incredible. They all look so real.

"Emily- this is phenomenal," Draco lets out as he reaches the drawing from the other day

"Nothing special," she shrugs

"No, I'm serious. You have a real talent,"

"Don't know about that," she shrugs

"It would be a waste for you to not use this," he prods her sides gently making her let out a grin.

"I probably will. George wants to reopen the shop at some point. Asked me if I would design all the packaging and advertising for them- him. We always talked about me doing it before everything and he always says he needs a sibling by his side every day if he's going to go back there. Said I would,"

"You'll be fantastic at that," Draco smiles gently.

"Thank you, that means a lot to me," she returns only then noticing how his face changes to a proud smirk. "Why do you look so smug?"

"Seems I have an admirer,"

"Piss off,"

"You're obsessed with me,"

"I guess. I can admit that I am fond of you,"

"You're much more than fond of me," he grins, laughing at her dramatic eye roll and the way she snatches the book back from his hands.